There are known in the art several interactive games. One popular game show is based upon an animated character named "Hugo". The game show is broadcast to a plurality of viewers that view the game on television, and one of the viewers is selected to be a player.
The player controls "Hugo" via telephone by pressing keys "2", "4", "6" and "8" of a touch-tone telephone, so that "Hugo" is moved up when the key "2" is pressed, moved to the left when the key "4" is pressed, moved to the right when the key "6" is pressed, and moved down when the key "8" is pressed.
Generally, the player manipulates "Hugo" through a series of obstacles, and his success in manipulating "Hugo" is measured in comparison with other players that are selected during the show. A winner is declared as a player who was most successful in manipulating "Hugo".
Other games are also described in various U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,088 to Kravitz et al. describes a television game show which is interactively played by the studio participant game players, the television studio audience and by telephone with the television-viewing home audience.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,953 and the corresponding re-issue patent RE 33,662 describe TV animation interactively controlled by the viewer wherein the motion picture branching method is superseded by an animation method which enables rapid and repeated switching of multiple tracks of different camera-originated animation of the same character during continuous action in a scene, and enables branching at the termination of an action to multiple actions or scenes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,805 to Baer et al. describes apparatus and methods for use in conjunction with raster scan video displays, including standard monochrome and color television receivers, for the generation, display and manipulation of images upon the screen of a display for the purpose of playing games or for the purpose of drawing pictures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,368 to Matthews, III describes an interactive television system that has a set-top box adapted for use with a television and a remote control handset. The set-top box is connected to receive a television broadcast that is filmed using multiple cameras situated at various camera viewpoints.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,422 to Berman and U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,115 to Berman et al. describe an interactive game show and method for achieving interactive communication therewith in which, by providing an interactive communication system whereby individuals are able to electronically select at least one possible outcome of a plurality of outcomes of a future event, individuals are able to participate in the outcome of that event and possible share in a prize award associated with the event.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,516 and the corresponding re-issue patent RE 34,340 describe a closed circuit interactive television system which provides a multichannel television signal from a localized headend which is used for individualized interactive selections by a plurality of users.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,275 to Lowe et al. describes a player interactive live action football game which may be played for example on a television screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,555 to Kidrin describes an interactive video game-television system wherein video game cartridge information is accessed in response to encoded signals transmitted with NTSC television signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,757 to Gagin et al. describes a complete multi-user game playing environment which provides game playing services to cable television subscribers over existing cable networks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,285 to Levy et al. describes an electronic game with at least one, and preferably a plurality, of intelligent game pieces which each contain a re-programmable memory device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,626 to Llenas et al. describes a television game for entertaining viewers and maintaining viewership during television programs and commercials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,525 to Ohno et al. describes television or video game data reception apparatus which receives a data signal of television games transmitted from a base station in a wireless manner or through wire on a local station side so that the received data signal is used to play a game.